Employment by status in Singapore
Singapore: Employment by status was 87.2% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
87.2%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
30th
of 186 countries
All-time high
88.5%
in 1995
All-time low
84.4%
in 1999
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Employment by status in Singapore, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment by status in Singapore is 87.2%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Singapore peaked at 88.5% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 84.4%, in 1999.
Singapore ranks 30th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Employment by status in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 86.6% | — |
| 1992 | 86.5% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 86.4% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 86.3% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 88.5% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 85.3% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 86.1% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 85.5% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 84.4% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 84.6% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 84.6% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 84.9% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 85.1% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 84.4% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 84.7% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 84.9% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 84.6% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 84.9% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 85.2% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 85.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 85.0% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 84.7% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 85.1% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 85.4% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 86.0% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 86.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 86.1% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 86.3% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 86.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 86.2% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 86.4% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 86.7% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 87.8% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 87.2% | -0.7% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 87.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 86.7%, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 87.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.9%, 1.4× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.2% | 84.4% | 88.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 84.8% | 84.4% | 85.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.6% | 84.7% | 86.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 86.8% | 86.2% | 87.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More work & labour data for Singapore
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.9557 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.9779 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1059 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 0 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,077 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,086 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 4,163 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, per unit 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by status in Singapore?
- Employment by status in Singapore was 87.2% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 88.5% in 1995.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 84.4% in 1999.
- How does Singapore rank for employment by status?
- Singapore ranks 30th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Singapore data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.